Vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, such as for example passenger motor vehicles, generally have a loading surface which is located in a loading area or luggage area, for example a trunk, which serves for stowing very different types of loads, for example objects such as bags, boxes or luggage and the like. In conventional motor vehicles there is the risk that the loads are secured only to a small extent or not at all to such a loading surface. This may result in the loads moving or tipping over in the loading area, whereby the loads may become damaged or the trunk lining may become soiled or damaged which may arise, in particular, in the case of a sudden braking or swerving maneuver or in the case of rapid cornering.
Insufficiently secured loads may also pose a risk for the vehicle occupants. For this reason there generally is a need for a device which is able to secure different types of loads on a loading surface of a vehicle.
Very different attempts have already been made in the past to solve this problem. For example, DE 36 22 018 A1 discloses a device for securing loads in motor vehicles, for example in the trunk of a passenger vehicle or on loading surfaces of trucks. The device has a floor plate which is retained on the loading surface and which has openings which are arranged so as to be distributed in a grid-like manner. Rods or tubes may be screwed into the openings in order to adapt to the contours of the loads to be secured, wherein the rods or tubes are then secured for absorbing lateral forces. Moreover, horizontal limiting strips or retaining strips are provided. The strips comprise loops or eyes attached at the ends thereof for pushing onto the free ends of the rods and being retained at a specific desired height by spacers which are able to be pushed onto the rods.
Similar devices for securing loads from slipping and/or tipping over in a loading area of a vehicle are disclosed in EP 1 495 913 A1 and WO 00/00366 A1. In this case, a base plate provided with holes is also arranged parallel to the floor of the loading area, wherein elongated fixing elements may be inserted into the holes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,788,310 and 4,027,892 also disclose very similar devices, wherein the device secures loads on a loading surface of a pickup truck.
DE 74 14 667 U further discloses a trunk floor insert for passenger motor vehicles, wherein the insert is intended to have the shape of the trunk floor and to be able to be inserted retrospectively into the trunk. Hooks or eyes are integrally formed on the insert, leashes or bungee cords being able to be fastened thereto on both sides of an item of luggage. The insert may also comprise holes, hooks of leashes or bungee cords being able to be hooked-in behind the edge thereof. Moreover, it is also provided that the insert has conical recesses, bars being able to be inserted therein in order to restrict the free space of the items of luggage as far as possible.
A device for securing loads in the loading area or trunk of a motor vehicle is disclosed in EP 0 869 033 A2, the device having a floor plate which is adapted to the peripheral dimensions of the respective loading area or trunk and which in turn comprises recesses which are distributed in a grid-like manner and in which bars or tubes are able to be inserted in a manner which is adapted to the contours of the loads to be secured.
Moreover, DE 10 921 376 U discloses a luggage holder for motor vehicles which has a luggage holder base which is produced from plastics or metal and which on the lower face is adapted to the trunk floor of the motor vehicle and on the upper face comprises holes arranged in a grid-like manner, fixing pins which may be configured for example as single pins, double pins, angled pins or cross pins, being able to be inserted therein.
WO 88/00144A1 also discloses a device for securing objects in a trunk of a motor vehicle, the device comprising a plate which is able to be laid on the floor of the trunk and which has uniformly distributed holes, pegs being able to be vertically inserted therein in order to secure the objects from slipping.
A floor mat provided with recesses or holes into which pins of, for example, vertical partitions may be inserted for laying on the floor of a loading area of a vehicle is disclosed in GB 2 289 449 A.
Moreover, a device for preventing the slipping and/or tipping over of loads when transported in a motor vehicle is disclosed in DE 297 11 979 U1, the device comprising a floor plate which is placed on a trunk floor or a loading surface of the motor vehicle and which is provided with uniformly arranged recesses for receiving load retaining elements and transport boxes. The differently designed retaining elements and transport boxes have on their lower faces projections which may be inserted into the recesses of the base plate.
DE 25 38 394 A1 and DE 24 43 882 A1 each disclose a device for securing objects on a support surface from movement parallel to the support surface, in which a mat made of an elastomeric or hard material with stud-like projections distributed in a grid-like manner is arranged on the support surface in a slip-resistant manner. Locking elements provided with recesses are able to be positioned onto the projections. The locking elements have a plate-shaped foot comprising the recesses and a retaining projection protruding at right angles therefrom.
DE 38 06 506 A1 discloses a wooden floor which is able to be rolled up as a floor covering for motor vehicles and trailers. The wooden floor consists of a plurality of wooden strips which are connected together by means of wire cables and which on their upper face comprise holes into which plug-in pins may be inserted in order to prevent the loads from slipping.
Moreover, a general device for the simple and rapid fastening and release of objects is disclosed in DE 36 18 996 A1 in which objects of any shape may be fixed by means of locking pins to a hole-matrix substrate. The hole-matrix substrate may consist of a flexible plastic in order to be adapted to uneven surfaces or from a strong solid material, for example, steel.
DE 200 04 483 U1 discloses a cupboard and drawer insert which consists of a perforated plate with positionable pegs, wherein the pegs are able to be screwed via a screw bolt connected thereto by rotating the peg by hand into any hole of the perforated plate.
In view of this background, it would be desirable to provide for a device for securing very different loads on a loading surface of a vehicle, which by a simple construction retains the loads securely and is able to be handled in a very simple, flexible and rapid manner, and when not in use the device is intended to require only a small amount of stowage space and further intended to have a low weight, to be able to be produced cost-effectively and to be washable.